Supermarket Perimeter - June 2022 - 12

SOSLAND PUBLISHING
years
There's an uptick in the number
of dietitians in stores. They
have the education and the
knowledge to take the science
of nutrition, which isn't always
easy to talk about, and put it
into a customized solution.
KRYSTAL REGISTER, FMI
on the minds of consumers, whether they put their intentions into
action or not.
And retailers are getting the message.
" There is a real increase in investment in health, " Register said.
" And there's a lot of research showing a direct connection between
increasing health outcomes and return on investments. "
Variety, technology, demographics
The grocery fresh perimeter is so diverse, there are many lenses for
studying the evolution of health and wellness over the decades.
Take fresh produce. For decades, produce departments focused on a
basic range of items, said Brian Numainville, principal in Lake Success,
N.Y.-based Retail Feedback Group. Then things like organics started to
gain in popularity, and from there, one of the big differences today from
a variety perspective, Numainville said, is the expanded range of exotic
and superfood items from around the world that many shoppers look
for to help meet their health and wellness goals.
Another game-changer, he added, was the advent of smartphones.
Apps now provide all the information you'd ever want about specific
products and their health benefits, right at your fingertips. And if a
shopper needs to find product information - to determine, for example,
if a product is gluten-free or to learn more about ingredients or
nutrition facts for a specific product - it's as simple as a web search or
app while in the store.
As food is increasingly looked at as a kind of " medicine, " Numainville
said, the grocery store has a real opportunity to be the hub of health
and wellness for shoppers.
" It all starts with understanding where the shoppers of a given
location are at in terms of their health and wellness needs, " he said.
12 - JUNE 2022
" A rural store with an older population might have a very different
approach than an urban store with a high percentage of younger
shoppers or a suburban store with many families with young children. "
From there, it's important find ways to link messaging up through
the store so there's consistency and synergy between the various
departments in the store, the pharmacy and dietitians. That means
connecting the dots for shoppers, so those who are looking for healthy
foods and options can easily identify them throughout the departments
in the store, providing a convenient and simple communications in all
vehicles available - signage, digital, social and beyond.
An interesting point of reference, Numainville said, is the 2021 Food &
Health Survey from the International Food Information Council, which
found that " In 2016, consumers most identified with the negative: the
absence of certain components, like fat and sugar content. In 2021,
the definition takes a more positive tone: 27% say it is defined by the
presence of healthful components (like fruits, veggies, and nutrients)
(up from 17%) and 25% say it is the food that is simply " good for you " (up
from 18%). "
" That clearly indicates that shoppers are shifting how they look at
food, moving away from an absence of items like fat and sugar, towards
choices that moves towards the inclusion of healthy fresh foods that
can be used for health, " he said. " I also think shoppers are looking at
functional foods, moving beyond simply taking vitamin supplements
but connecting with foods that offer health benefits. "
Products grown and sourced from farmers engaging in regenerative
agriculture practices will continue to pick up steam into the future,
combining " good for you food " with " good for the environment "
practices, which appeals to many shoppers, and likely will resonate
heavily with millennials and Gen Z, Numainville said.
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Supermarket Perimeter - June 2022

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